fsn #22 2/11/16 - 2/25/16

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Feb 11 - Feb 25 2016

Volume 2 • Issue 3

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Bishop Moore’s Boy Soccer Win’s Championship

Foundation Academy Take’s Home District Title

Florida Sporting News • 2/11/16 - 2/25/16

Foundation Academy Has Nothing But Net

WINTER GARDEN - The Foundation Academy girls’ basketball team, (10-15) won their match against Windermere Prep, (9-13) last month, earn-ing the win of the district championship. The game ended with a score of 47-44, in favor of the Foun-dation Lions. “The team as a whole gave 100%,” said Dani Lord, junior.

The small, pri-vate school is ready to show the county exactly what they have up their sleeve. The girls’ bas-ketball team is just one of the school’s many assets. The girls practice hard and act as if each prac-tice is a real game. They are truly in it to win it, and are not afraid to use their strengths. As a team, each player stepped up their game for the match against Win-dermere and it clearly paid off.

“Our defense wasn’t as solid as it could have been,” explained Lord. With such a close final score, it is obvious the Lions tried to maintain strong plays. Halfway through the game, the girls changed up their defense to pick up in an area they were lack-ing. Most players agree that this shift in their plan is most likely what got

them the win. Their offense was tight the en-tire game. After adding a stronger defense, the girls were golden.

“We need to communi-cate better as a team,” stated Lord. A lesson learned after a match is what strategies the team needs to focus on. For the Lady Lions, it seems to be communication. In any sport, it is key to

constantly be aware of what your teammates are doing. With all the complication of trying to do whatever it takes to win, the Foundation girls have learned to always trust and listen to each player. The team knows to be smart with the ball and not rush anything they try to do. “Teamwork is really what wins the

game,” said Lord.

As a junior, players like Lord are blessed with another year of enjoying the sport they love. Already being aware of their team and coaching style, Lord has a slight

advantage next year. She even admits to knowing the most important element of a game; she cannot do it all on her own. Being completely aware of the needs of other players is one of Lord’s strengths as the point guard.

The Foundation Academy Lady Lions were ecstatic to win the district championship. They continued on to win the Regional Quarter Final versus Santa Fe Catholic (4-14) by a score of 44-38. Now the girls will be advancing on to the Regional Semi Final, in high hopes of advancing further. With strong minds and determination, they are more than positive they will earn the outcome by playing at their very best.

by Andrea Lerner

2/11/16 - 2/25/16 • Florida Sporting News

by Andrea LernerOlympia Titans Sign Off On Future

ORLANDO - Olympia high school was honored to have four students sign their National Letters of Intent this month for the 2016 National Signing Day. Faculty and staff were gathered together to witness the students mak-ing such a large commitment. Football was the popular recruiting sport for the Titans, with three players signing away their futures. Enjoying the sport is one thing, but committing to playing it for an ad-ditional four years takes true courage and dedication.

Taymel Christian signed with Warner University while Jeff James signed with University of Miami. The two players will remain in Florida and are more than happy to do so. Khalyn Strickland committed to Northland Techni-cal College in Minnesota. Enduring the weather change will be a challenge for Strickland.

Besides football, Olympia was honored to have a student commit for track and field. The all star runner Summer Schafers signed the National Letter of Intent with Florida

State University. Honored to be playing for one of her top choices, Schafers is ready to attend FSU in the fall.

The Olympia Titans filled the courtyard just to watch these students make these life changing commitments. Parents are grateful for the chance their children have been given, and the students themselves are ecstatic. The school is honored to have had this national day be such a success, and can’t wait to see how well the students start off in the fall.

by Matthew AnetrellaLake Highland Basketball Moves on to Regional Quarter Finals

The Lake Highland Highlanders Boys Basketball team have put together a great season so far, going (17-11) in regular season and winning two straight playoffs games against Father Lopez (79-40) and The Master’s Acad-emy Eagles which was very close and ended in a 1-point win for Lake Highland 85-84. The Highlanders had just recently lost a Rivalry Game against The Trinity Prep Saints (22-5) who have had an excellent season winning over twenty games and are ranked seventy-one in the state of Florida.

The end score was 66-62. In their next game, the Saints meet the Villages Charter Buffalo (The Villages, FL) in a non-league match, on Thursday, February 11. Trinity Prep will attempt to move on its 22-5 season record. The Buf-falo enter the match with a (16-12) record after their 63-58 non-league loss to Dunnellon (Dunnellon, FL).Lake Highland’s win against Master’s Academy was a great game because the Eagles (22-4) were the team to beat in the playoffs and are ranked twenty-seven in Flori-da. The Highlanders put the heat on them late in the game and pulled out an ecstatic 1 point victory to move on to

the Regional Quarter Finals to face The Dunnellon Tigers (21-8). That was the Eagles first loss all season at home, they are now 13-1 at home and they have an impressive 7-0 record in away games this season. The Highlanders are averaging just around 70 points per game as a team and the Tigers average just about 69 points per game so this should be an exciting game to watch.

It is a home playoff game for the Tigers on Thursday, Feb-ruary 11 at 7pm. Come show your support for both teams and see who will advance to the Regional Semi-Finals.


by Noel Clay360 Cookware and NFL Alumni help stop hunger in Orlando

The NFL Alumni Central Florida Chapter and 360 Cookware teamed up with Validus Senior Liv-ing, Audi South Orlando, Sweetwater Car Wash, Shubee’s Coastal Grill and Florida Sporting News to present the “Flavors of the NFL Alumni” charity event.

The “party for a purpose” benefited One Heart for Women and Children” and took place at the Regal Oaks Resort on Sunday, January 24th during the AFC/NFC Championship games. Hall of Fame in-ductee, Larry Little of the 1972 undefeated Dolphins, joined local NFL Alumni President, Mike Attardi and appeared on Fox Sports that morning.

Fox, Channel 9 (ABC) and Channel 2 (NBC) all came to the charity foodie event. HOF Larry Little, Ki-Jana Carter, Cliff Smith, Lee Paige and Ikaika Alama-Frances were among the interviewees and the crowd of over 250 guest loved the local media exposure.

16 award-winning chefs showed up for the cook-off foodie competition and were paired with 23 former NFL players. The players cooked side by side with their chefs and created an instant team like atmo-sphere, which the chefs really ap-preciated. Validus Senior Living, who is currently build-ing the new NFL Alumni concussion facility in Ocoee, had HOF Larry Little and All-Pro

Cliff Smith cooking with their chefs.

With 16 townhomes, each guest was able to enter and sample the chef’s creations. The NFL players were handing out samples and signing autographs for all the fans. Each townhome was fully furnished and was playing the AFC/NFC games so fans would not miss any of the action. If guests wanted, they had the option to gather outside under a large tent that was located at the end of the street. They supplied space heaters, two full bars and two large screen T.V.’s playing the games.

All of the sponsors, guests, chefs and NFL players claimed the foodie event as a true success and have thrown their support for next year’s Flavors of the NFL Alumni. One Heart for Women and Children and the NFL Alumni Central Florida Chapter both raised money for their charities.


by Andrea LernerOlympia Girls Basketball Give and Go against Newsome

ORLANDO - The Olympia girls basketball team (15-13) lost their most recent match against Newsome (16-7). The Newsome team left the game strong with their win of 46-38.

“We won’t be playing together as a team again,” said MacKenzie Loos, senior. Los-ing the Regional Quarterfinals sends a burn around the team, but the girls are satisfied with the season they had. As a senior, Loos is thankful for the teammates she got to share the court with. She only hopes that they keep the chemistry up next year, and play together as if they are a family. “We had issues with the foul count over-all,” stated Loos. The common issue for the Olympia girls throughout the game was in fact the fouling. Players admit that confidence was shot down when the op-posite team made every last one of their free throws. This factor encouraged them to tighten up their game play and not foul as often. The girls knew they needed their confidence back to finish the game with their best effort. “I learned to take full re-sponsibility for my team,” explained Loos. In most sports, the cards are not always dealt in the team’s favor. For the Olympia girls, it was hard to ac-cept this lesson. Players like Loos, however, are fully aware of their own mistakes made and have learned to never blame a anyone else for them. She admits to realizing that the entire team as a whole just needed to play better and might have been able to win.

“Basketball is more than just a hobby or sport,” said Loos. As team captain, Loos lives and breathes basketball. She has over-come many challenges such as accepting that she cannot control the out-come of the game. In each game, she tries to lead by example and push through even the worst of matches. On and off the court, she is constantly building up her teammates to give every-thing they have into every second the clock ticks down. The Olympia girls team

may not have received the outcome they wanted, but they delivered an impressive season. For the seniors, saying goodbye to the high school court is tough but ex-citing as they continue on to new adven-tures in their lives. The girls on the team have learned life lessons and character development not only from the game, but from the coaches and teammates they have bonded with this year.


by Matthew AnetrellaWinter Springs Playoff Run Comes to an End

The Winter Springs Bears (16-11) Boys basketball team was almost unbeatable at home, going 12-2, but struggled win-ning away games only putting up a 4-7 record. Against district teams the Bears were 9-6. They fought hard in the regular season and met expectations but when the playoffs start, teams have to take their skill to the next level and that’s exactly what the Bears did in the first round play-off game against The University Titians (9-17). The Titians were 2-11 all season in away games. The Bears looked to take full advantage of that. The Bears played a great game and once they had the lead, they didn’t look back. The Titians played the best they could but couldn’t put together a win to move on. Winter Springs won 64-54 to move on to the 2nd round of district playoffs. After winning their first playoff game, the Bears faced Seminole (19-9). Semi-nole is a great basketball team surprising most teams this season putting up almost twenty wins on the season. Winter Springs wanted this win badly after advancing from the first round and a chance to appear in the District Champi-onship game. Seminole fought hard and

played an aggressive game. The game came down to the wire, and the team who really wanted it more would advance. The Bears suffered a heartbreaking loss to Seminole by a score of 67-64. Semi-nole would advance to the 8A District Fi-

nals and would go up against The Oviedo Lions (17-11). Oviedo won the game by a score of 73-70. Oviedo controlled the lead through the first three quarters of the game but Seminole put a dent in their lead narrowing it down to three points

but couldn’t push the lead into their hands in the end.


by Andrea LernerWindermere Prep Headstrong After Loss

WINDERMERE - The Windermere Prep girls’ basketball team (9-13) lost this month’s game against Lakeland Christian (16-7). The girls brought their A-game to this match, with a de-feat of 67-52. “We played very aggressively,” said Abbey Lahnston, senior. Realizing that they played their final game, the team is sad to leave the court. They kept their plays tight throughout the entire game, and almost came out with the win. The aggressiveness and passion that each player had is what got them such a high score, and the girls only hope to bring even more to the table next year. “Starting as strong as we finish is so important,” stated Lahnston.

The Windermere team came into the game slow and progressively sped up. Every player learned the mistakes in game play that night. Players were confident that if they hadn’t given the other team such a lead, they might have

brought home the win. The Lakeland Christian team was up the entire match and that is what the Windermere Lak-ers regret most. Shots improved throughout the game, but the girls never got to grab the lead. “Defense is my biggest struggle,” explained Lahnston. Being timid on de-fense is a challenge to overcome in the game of basketball. Play-ers such as Lahnston have learned that offense does not matter if there is no sign of defense going on. Defense has been observed to be an enormous mental game, and it’s easy for players to drop back a little bit. The Lakers are fully aware of when this happens to them individually, and have made it a goal to change it for next season. “I’ll definitely miss playing next year,” said Lahnston. Leaving high school has a strong effect on anyone, but leaving the sport one played all four years of high school hits a soft spot. Lahnston has played on the Varsity team since sixth grade and has put countless hours into the sport. Being a part of the Lakers team for a number of years has taught her and many others the values of commitment and leader-ship. Each senior on the team is thankful for

the time they got to spend on the Windermere court.

For those not yet graduating, the planning of the next season begins. With many lessons learned this year, it is highly possible the Win-dermere Lakers will be starting over new and improved when they are seen again. Coaches are confident in what their girls can do, and now the players themselves are feeling secure. The season may have ended, but for these girls, the practice is only beginning.


by Greyson EveridgeWest Orange Football Signing Day Success

WEST ORANGE – For the second year in a row, the West Orange Football Program had a very successful signing day after another strong season. The District Cham-pions, who then reached the State Semi-finals, signed nine players to play college ball, many of whom will attend division one schools in the coming year.

The Warriors team had a great season, win-ning Districts against stalwart opponents such as Apopka and Dr.Phillips, and then going all the way to the State Semi-Finals where they lost to Kissimmee. However, it was very much a team effort despite the standout individuals. Two four-star recruits, Eddie McDoom

and Woody Barrett, signed to Michigan State and Auburn University respectively. Both McDoom and Barrett caught major attention this year and last, which recently earned them a spot in the prestigious Under Armour All-American game.

Earning multiple offers, wide receiver McDoom signed on with Michigan after recently de-committing from the Oregon Ducks. McDoom had a great season, earn-ing offers from not only Michigan and Oregon, but Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Clemson, and many more. His explosive speed and quick runs prove extremely use-ful in many situations, hence his scoring success.

Instrumental to McDoom’s success was the supply from quarterback Woody Bar-rett. Barrett, who committed to Auburn, had offers from Notre Dame, Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama and Michigan State to name a few. His strength, along with his size and technical ability proved to be a double threat this season for West Orange’s offense, as he ran for touchdowns as well as throwing for plenty.

Offensive tackle Stone Forsythe, who checks in at an impressive 6 foot 8 325 pounds, most notably received offers from Auburn, Duke, and Florida State. However it was Florida who captured his signature, as he enrolled with the Gators mid-year


to start training and working out with the team.

Weak side defensive end Nolan DeFranco, who was instrumental to the strong Warrior defense, racked up 24 offers from teams like Air Force, Vanderbilt and Virginia. However the three-star recruit signed his letter of intent to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill where he will play ball starting in the fall.

Inside linebacker Jeremy Samuels, who is 6 foot 221 pounds signed for the Citadel Bulldogs. His solid play during the year earned him the opportunity to fulfil his

dream of playing college ball.Safety Dejour Nesbeth signed with Ten-nessee State, after proving very successful with the Warriors. He joins with a good reputation as a hard worker with a great attitude. Three-star safety Decary Croaker signed with Valdosta State, and offensive lineman Jeffery Kennedy signed to South Eastern University.

DB Ben Bollinger, who was considered highly underrated, was talking to teams like Appalachian State and Southern Il-linois. Come the Monday before signing

day, he got the call from Air Force and im-mediately told them he was committed. It was a good deal for Bollinger, who led the Warriors in tackles (102) and interceptions (4). He also won the Orlando Touchdown Club’s defensive player of the year.

The signing class, which has been strong for a second year in a row, is a compliment to the program, coaches, players and staff alike. The Warriors are looking forward to yet another productive collegiate recruiting year ahead.


Apopka Signing Day

Orlando- There were many smiles on the Blue Darters faces. Eight Blue Darters that signed on Wednesday. For football there was for football include Jonas Small, David Douglas, Malik Dowe, Roddre Hardwick, Gavin John-son, Reuben Lewis, and Laquan Lewis Hicks.

For soccer there was Vanessa Pajotte.

The Blue Darters football ended their record at10-2, making it all the way to Regional Semifinals and being ranked No. 25 in the state.

Jonas Small will be going to play for War-ner University as a Defensive Tackle. David Douglas is a 5 foot 11 and 165 pound, wide receiver who is going to play for Stetson University. Malik Dowe is 6 foot 1 and 235

pound and will be playing for Garden City Commu-nity College in Kansas as a defensive end. Roddre Hardwick, at 6 foot and 180 pounds, is going to play free safety for Savannah State University.

Gavin Johnson, a 6 foot 4 and 235-pound defensive end is playing for William & Mary in Virginia. Before Johnson’s senior year, he had an injured shoulder but had shoulder surgery. Reu-ben Lewis will be going to play for Coffeyville Com-munity College in Kansas as guard. Lewis is 6 foot 4 and 257 pounds. Laquan Lewis Hicks plays outside linebacker who is going to go play for New Mexico Military Institute.

Overall, the women Blue Darters soccer team did well this season with their record being 18-2-1. They are ranked No. 29 in the state. Soccer player Vanessa Pajotte will be going to play for Southeastern University. Pajotte is also a part of the Elite Club National League.

The Blue Darters had some players sign early in softball and volleyball. For softball those players were Cassady Brewer to UCF and Analyse Petree to UAB. For volley-ball there was Carli Ander-son to Lipscomb University and Schylar Lillethorup to Cal Sate- Northridge Uni-versity.

by Aleesia Hatcher


by Andrea LernerDr. Phillips Signing Day Holds Crowd at Courtyard

DR. PHILLIPS - Dr. Phillips high school witnessed a large crowd this month in honor of National Signing Day. Parents and teachers were dealing with their nerves as students were making college commit-ments for their future. Jaquarius “Q” Bargnare signed with UCF football with the new head coach Scott Frost. Bargnare has been slotted as a re-ceiver/running back for the DP team and is more than excited to continue his passion at UCF in the fall. Frost had the senior on his radar as soon as he became the new head coach, and feels as if it is going to be a perfect match.

Nigel Alexander signed a National Let-ter of Intent with Dartmouth for football. Alexander was more than excited to have this opportunity. At the beginning of the season, the senior linebacker had very little buzz when it came to recruiting opportuni-ties. As the season came to an end, Alexan-der became very popular to the recruitment world and knew that Dartmouth was the right place for him.

Jean D’Haiti signed his National Letter of Intent with Florida A&M University for cross country. The high school running star is thrilled to continue what he loves in his

future. Eliajah Smith signed with Webster University for soccer. As the top player for the Panthers, the coaches were in agree-ment that Smith deserved Webster.

The 2016 signing day was more than a suc-cess at Dr. Phillips. Whether players are continuing their athletic careers in Florida

or out of state, everyone is grateful for the opportunities they’ve been given. Team-mates and coaches have been supportive for the lucky players who have been re-cruited. With school ending soon, these young adults are more than prepared for what the fall will bring.

Jaquatius “Q” Bargnare


Wow how time flies when your having fun! Yes parents it’s that time to save the dates for our fun filled spring and summer day camps coming up!

The first one for Spring Break week, March 21-25th is right around the corner and we have it already filling up fast!

Register your child today! 407-877-6800.

We will send you the registration form to fill out and return once you have regis-tered.

Our Summer camps are also available and have been opened for registration as well due to the popular demand of parents looking to set their summer schedule! Early registration is now open! Register now and receive 5 tickets for the Ambas-

sador Drawing on February 27th !

June 13-17 XMA Tricks & Kicks July 11-15 Wood Board BreakJuly 18-22 Traditional Martial Art - Earn your Orange Belt!August 1-5 Back to School, Back to Basics - Safety Awareness/Bully Prevention

Victory Spring & Summer Camp

by Greyson EveridgeEdgewater Girls Soccer Reach Regional Semi-Finals

ORLANDO – The Edgewater Eagles girls’ soccer team went out in double overtime in the 4A Regional Semi-Finals, however that does not negate the fact that they had an outstanding season.

The Eagles finished with a (17-2-1) record, going into the postseason with just one loss to the highly regarded Monte Verde Academy. The Regional Semi-Final game was an exciting one, leaving fans on the edge of their seats until the last minute when Viera put an end to the run of the Eagles. Viera, who would go on to win the State Championship, was not a bad opponent to fall to.

The season was a truly incredible one, which saw the Eagles beat some very good opponents in the process. They came up with major victories against Winter Park, West Orange, Melbourne, and Lake Mineola.

Edgewater trained hard day in and day out, and it showed on the field. The players worked great together, and the team chemistry was clearly evident as they rolled over team after team week in and week out. The Eagles also proved that

predictions do not mean anything.

They were expected to do well no doubt, but not as well as they did. They finished first place in their District, and continued the success to the Semi-Finals only to

be beaten by the eventual State Champions in double time. With a luckier draw, the Eagles may have even gone all the way to the State Championship themselves.

Heading into the next season, they will continue to plug away and work hard in each training session, using each game to prove something to everyone watching. The returning class looks strong, in particular sophomore Kristen Scott, and the Eagles are certainly a team to beat when the next season rolls around in a years’ time.


by Matthew AnetrellaUniversity High Falls Short of District Final

University Cougars (11-15) faced off against their rival Colonial Grenadiers (11-15) in the Dis-trict play-in game. University fans saw their basketball squad wallop Co-lonial by a tally of 52-29. Colonial did not play very well offensively in this district game while the Cougars defense played great, limit-ing the Grenadiers to 29 points through four quarters.

The Cougars trav-eled to Winter Park to play the Wildcats in their next game which was the District Semi-final on Wednesday, February 3. The Wildcats came into the challenge with a re-cord of 16-9. Winter Park won 56-52 in their recent match against Kathleen (Lakeland, FL).

The Wildcats refused to lose in this hard fought Semi-final and exploded offensively

putting up 77 points. They restricted the Cougars offensively and the Wildcats won the game by a demanding score of 77-57. The 6’7” Junior who plays Guard/Forward for Winter Park played outstanding for his team putting up a team-high 26 points, 3 three-pointers, 9/10 at the free throw line, a team-high 7 rebounds, and also active on defense recording 5 steals.

The Wildcats now sport a 17-9 record. They put it on the line next when they travel to Timber Creek for a non-league District Final on Friday, February 5. Winter Park will battle a Wolves team coming off a 72-56 non-league playoff win over Boone (Orlando, FL). The Wolves record now stands at 19-7. In Friday’s Final, the Winter Park Wild-cats (Winter Park, FL) basketball squad nipped the host Tim-ber Creek Wolves

(Orlando, FL), by a margin of 57-54. It was a very close and nerve-racking game but the Wildcats held strong all the way through and picked up the win.

The Wolves finished with a 19-8 record. With the win over Timber Creek, the Wild-cats are the 8A District 4 Champions and finished the season with an 18-9 record.


Apopka and Evans Boys Soccer Wrap Up Season

ORLANDO – Two teams in the same district, both ended their seasons this past month, as the Apopka Darters and the Evans Trojans went out in Districts and Regionals respec-tively.

The Blue Darters ended their season with a (6-6-2) record, going out in the District Semi-Finals to Evans. They started the season decently, with only two losses from their first five games. That was on track with the pre-dictions that were made preseason, as many expected them to finish in the middle of the pack during the regular season. They went on a four game undefeated streak leading into the districts, where they unexpectedly beat Dr.Phillips (8-4-6) in the quarters but then lost to a strong Evans team (18-2-2) in the Semi-Finals.

The Evans Trojans were a force to be reck-oned with since the beginning of the season, drawing a hugely positive record. Their win-ning streak was disrupted by West Orange, yet they continued to push forward strongly as the season progressed. They worked their way into the district tournament, where they beat Apopka in the quarterfinals after getting a bye round for the round of 16 due to their 1st place finish in the District standings.

The Trojans were dominating to say the least, and had no losses going into the tournament.

It was after that win against Apopka where it all fell apart. In the District Finals, they lost 6-2 to the Olympia Titans (20-3-2). Even though they lost in the finals, the rules allow them to progress to the Re-gional Tournament.

They then lost their second game of the season in the first round of Regionals, when they were downed 5-2 by Lake Mary. Despite the early defeat in Regionals it was a strong season for the Trojans. Next season will be a test for the Trojans, who are losing quite a few seniors. However, with the strong returning class, next year is certainly not looking down for Evans.

by Greyson Everidge


by Greyson EveridgeBishop Moore Boys Soccer Reach State Semi-Finals

ORLANDO – The Bishop Moore Boys Soc-cer team have had an impressive season thus far, and it is far from over as they are still playing for a spot in the State Championship game. The Hornets, who sit with a (21-5-0) record currently, have rolled with little difficulty to the Class 2A State Semi Finals where they will play Ransom Everglades. They feel as if they can win the match and advance into the finals. The season has been consistent for them, with wins against solid teams like Edgewood, West Shore, and the Villages.

They have been putting in a tremendous amount of effort to get where they are, and

they are happy that it seems to be pulling together so nicely. Staring earlier in the season, the Hornets are currently still on a 13 game win streak. Af-ter correcting some minor issues, they have looked extremely good since November and

are continuing to get better and grow closer with each game. That chemistry, which has been one of their major keys of success so far, will only help them as they look to the finals.

Regardless of what happens, the season will be considered a highly successful one. The Hornets also have some very good younger players, who will help the team maintain its high profile going into the next season. With the old players and their attitude, mixed in with emerging leaders and incoming fresh-man from a strong middle school pool, the Bishop Moore Hornets will be one of the teams to beat in the Class 2A standings for the 2016-2017 season starting next school year.

fsn #22 2/11/16 - 2/25/16

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